Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — After high-energy practices, San Jose State has geared up to welcome its next Mountain West opponent, the Colorado State Rams, to CEFCU Stadium on Saturday for a Set the Expectation game.

In case you didn’t know, Set the Expectation was launched by Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor who was gang raped by four football players. Set the Expectation is a pledge for male college and high school athletes. The latter can have their parents sign their pledges with them. Contrary to popular belief, the pledges aren’t legally binding documents, just a simple step towards accountability for the players and coaches. In addition, the coaches can use the pledge as a blueprint to have a serious conversation about consent, domestic violence and sexual assault.

Saturday’s Set the Expectation game was scheduled at the right time, as October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. SJSU’s Beyond Football program made it clear that they proudly support the YMCA Silicon Valley and asked fans to donate money for the amazing non-profit at https://www.gofundme.com/settheexpectationsjsustanford.

Aside from Beyond Football and Set the Expectation, SJSU has proved fans time and time again that the local community is one of the most important things in everyday life. The Spartans volunteer for local charities, non-profits and schools.

The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements were culture shocks in North America, but the actual changing of the existing laws will take at least a year for real results. Of course, the brave women and men have shown us how far we’ve come, but there’s also the thought of how far they need to go in order to make things happen for the safety and well-being of the younger generations.

Beyond Football recently shared a snippet of head coach Brent Brennan’s comments on Set the Expectation in his weekly radio show at the Hukilau in San Jose’s Japantown. This video highlight proves that Brennan has been using his platform in all sorts of ways.

The Spartans are more than student-athletes. They’re part of the 90%. They’re talented players on the field, informed men off the field and educated scholars in the classroom. Whether or not the Spartans enter the NFL, they’ll leave SJSU as fine, young men who have a lot to offer the Silicon Valley and beyond. At the end of the day, education is an important thing. Without education, one wouldn’t have class, dignity and respect.